amoxicillin

[am-ok-suh-sil-in, uh-mok-]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a semisynthetic penicillin, C 18 H 19 N 3 O 5 S, taken orally as a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

amoxicillin

1. An antibiotic derived from penicillin, having an antibacterial spectrum of action similar to that of ampicillin. Chemical formula: C ₁₆ H ₁₉ N ₃ O ₅.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amoxicillin¹

1970–75; perhaps am(ino-hydr)ox(yphenyl) part of its chemical name + (pen)icillin

Example Sentences

Treatment with standard antibiotics amoxicillin and clindamycin caused dramatic shifts in the overall structure of bacterial populations in the mouse gut, diminishing the abundance several beneficial microbial groups, the team found.

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Another study tested its ability to stop bacteria in wounds, and some snail mucus performed better than commercial antibiotics, including amoxicillin and streptomycin.

Read more on National Geographic

Another vital drug, amoxicillin, is running short for the second winter season in a row.

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The findings signal a significant breakthrough given concerns that the current use of amoxicillin risks promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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Jonathan Marquess said one of his drugstores fielded 100 questions one day last fall about the antibiotic amoxicillin and the attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder treatment Adderall, two drugs in short supply.

Read more on Seattle Times

Related Words

• penicillin